The NEW Program Enables Women To Do A Man’s Work

There’s so many Human Rights program that pushes equality among gender – and literally. Many women have found ways to become more productive and industrious, thanks to programs that help them find a stable job in a world filled with men. Now not only men can work and operate the best hammer drill for concrete, but even women are also trained to do the job.

A new program that trains women for rather unexpected work. What’s so special about these new classes. At New York New Yankee Stadium, construction crews are hard at work, laying down a 500-pound pipe. You will be surprised to find women doing a man’s job. Tamara Grant thought not anymore.

Tamara Grant, one of the many female workers, get a sense of pride that she is a female plumber. Some people are surprised when she says that she is one. But Tamara loves the work and at the same time, she loves the reaction she gets from people surprised of her doing a man’s job.

The NEW Program – Non-Traditional Employment for Women

Once on welfare, Tamara is now as an apprentice with the plumbers’ union earning a decent 22$ an hour plus benefits. Tamara says she can now spoil her kids and get to buy the things her kids. She credits her success to a program called NEW – Non-Traditional Employment for Women in New York, a non-profit organization that trains women in jobs in construction like carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and painters.

Women are not exactly flocking to these trades. Tamara is one of the 30 plumber apprentices in the city but that’s double what it was years ago. These women graduate from these program and they start out with 15$ an hour and in 3 to 4 years, they are making 40 to 45$ per hour.

What makes this program so unique is that the training actually takes place right in the premises of construction. Each year, the program helps more than 400 graduates and get stable high paying blue collar jobs. A construction company has already hired 8 women in total with the help of the NEW program which is 10% of his crew.

Without NEW, I don’t think our company would hire nearly as many women and I don’t think the industry would see as many as we do.

The work is physically demanding and there’s no room for excuses. They don’t sugar coat anything coz you are a woman. You got to be able to handle the job. In one year, Tamara will become a full-fledged plumber, one step to living an ideal dream thanks to a program helping women not only find careers but find a new sense of pride.

Tamara is so proud to be a Yankee Stadium contributor. She thought she will always think that it will always have Tamara’s hand on its construction and she’s proud to be part of that.

This is a news from BBC network from Today Show featuring a breaking tradition entitled Women Doing A Man’s Work.